I Need You

had been inching toward pop as the '90s grew to a close, but she truly lunged at the pop charts with the soundtrack to , providing the voice for 's star-struck, fledgling singer/songwriter. This was a prelude to 2001's , her first full-fledged pop album -- a crossover affair with more in common with 's than . That means that its footing is squarely within adult contemporary pop, and it's heavy on ballads. Even when the tempo is kicked up a notch, as on with its percolating drum machines, it's still mid-tempo AC pop. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially since she has a couple of good songs here (notably and the leftover, ), but it's not the most natural move in the world, either. ' impressive voice sounds restrained in this setting, too self-consciously mature. In a nutshell, that's the problem with -- it's a teenager attempting to make a thirtysomething album. That she occasionally succeeds is a testament to her vocal talents and the skills of her producers, but it shouldn't be surprising that it also feels awkward for large stretches, never quite becoming as alluring as , because this is a sound that she needs to grow into to be totally convincing. [The 2002 reissue features a different track order and five extra songs, including and several radio edits] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine